D&D General PC Gamer - Baldur's Gate 2 remake allegedly in development, BG1 remake might be as well. Co-lead designer returning

[MonsterEnvy]

I could see something like the Diablo 2 remake being done for it, and some quality of life stuff like spell templates. Anyway need more news first

 

[jolt]

BG 1 and 2 used the 'real time with pause' which made combats go very quickly and you could have periodic random encounters. You'd have to dial back the number of combats significantly to keep the pacing tight and you'd also have to figure out where and when to put in relevant skill checks. You'd have to make a lot of changes to switch things to a 5E ruleset. It seems like a lot of work for a remake. Not to mention that those games are already popular and making changes is a risky proposition.

 

[DarkCrisis]

How much they would have to shrink BG2 to make it fit in a modern style game is mind boggling.

Like compare the maps of BG3 to 2.

 

[MarkB]

For me, the only good reason to remake these games would be to modernise them to a more contemporary ruleset. I had a lot of fun playing through them at the time, but in particular I'd love to see those high-level combats in BG2 without the ridiculous arms race of protective spells versus anti-protection spells where the first few rounds is just a war of attrition trying to strip away the opposing mages' multiple layers of protections before they removed yours.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I am not sure what the point of a BG2 remake would be NOT given the 5E treatment. And that is a whole new game, really.

The point is to make piles of money no matter how they do it.

 

[AlViking]

I am not sure what the point of a BG2 remake would be NOT given the 5E treatment. And that is a whole new game, really.

Is it? The combat resolution engine changes but all the backstory, plotting and dialog could remain the same. Still seems like a significant effort of course depending on whether or not any of the existing assets such as art for locations could be used at all.

I had fun with the games back in the day and I would personally enjoy a game along the same lines, but I don't see them recreating the BG 3 level of branching and options. We'll see if it's ever anything more than vaporware.

 

[AlViking]

Assuming the re-re-release does bring the rules up to 5E standards of course.

If a remake keeps it still using 2E like the original games, then there's really no point in doing it because it wouldn't activate any of the new-to-D&D fans.

I do think @Henadic Theologian had a good call that if you could license the BG3 engine, then using that to remake the originals would work well (perhaps). Although that being said... the number of locations in BG1 alone seem very much larger than BG3, with the 40+ different "screens" you can travel to (not even including Baldur's Gate and its tunnels itself). So I dunno if trying to build all of those places in 3D would end up being too much?

I guess we will see.

I remember reading that even Larian was tired of the Divinity engine and all the hoops they had to go through for BG 3. Not sure licensing their engine would be a big plus, the engine is not what made the game what it was.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Let snot forget they would have to trim way back the amount of NPCs to join you.

Like it would just be the PC, Imoen, Jaheria, Minsc, my sweet baby girl Viconia. Uh... Neera? Edwin? Yeah that's enough.

BG1 would be the canon party of PC, Imoen, Jaheria, Khalid, Minsc, and Dynahair. And Viconia!

 

[J-H]

For me, the only good reason to remake these games would be to modernise them to a more contemporary ruleset. I had a lot of fun playing through them at the time, but in particular I'd love to see those high-level combats in BG2 without the ridiculous arms race of protective spells versus anti-protection spells where the first few rounds is just a war of attrition trying to strip away the opposing mages' multiple layers of protections before they removed yours.

Without them, a 10th level wizard by himself lasts about 1 combat round if he's caught in a small room. Stoneskin isn't even worth casting in 5e.

3.5-5e HP bloat is part of the issue. That wizard with all his protective spells may only have 50hp. Even the big bad red dragon, one of the tougher fights until you're really high level, only has 168hp. That's enough to survive about 0.9 rounds of DPS from a martial party of around 11th level that's in range and trying. Fireball (8d6) is nothing to most 15th level characters, but when HP growth stops at 10th level in 5e and wizards are lucky to have 70hp, a Fireball is a pretty big threat.

I capped party HP growth in my 5e BG2 campaign and really liked it. Only the martial types ever exceeded 100hp.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I remember reading that even Larian was tired of the Divinity engine and all the hoops they had to go through for BG 3. Not sure licensing their engine would be a big plus, the engine is not what made the game what it was.

Better to use an already built one than to have to make a whole new one themselves (whomever takes on the task). Larian might be done with it, but other folks might be fine with using the Divinity Engine... same way Black Isle was good with using Bioware's Infinity Engine to make Planescape and the Icewind Dale games.

But at this point it's probably all just talk anyways and nothing is going to end up happening, LOL.